TV highlights this week

"The Knick" and "Outlander" debut on pay cable, reality contestants pursue love and culinary prominence and it's the 40th anniversary of Nixon's downfall.

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Posted Aug. 3, 2014 at 2:00 AM

Posted Aug. 3, 2014 at 2:00 AM

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HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK

Tonight

"WrestleMania 30: The World Television Premiere" celebrates three decades of drop-kicks, power slams and suplexes. The special includes major matches, as well as the return of legends such as Hulk Hogan, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Rock; 8 p.m., NBC.

Monday

"Bachelor in Paradise" looks like another cheesy way to milk the franchise. It brings back former contenders from "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" and gives them a second chance at romance in an isolated Mexican locale; 8 p.m. on ABC. ... "Partners" teams comedy veterans Kelsey Grammer and Martin Lawrence in an "Odd Couple"-like legal series. They play Chicago lawyers with very different backgrounds who form an unlikely bond after meeting in court; 9 p.m. on FX.

Tuesday

Country stars come out to shine in the annual CMA Music Festival special. The three-hour program, recorded in Nashville, includes performances by Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert and many others; 8 p.m. on ABC. ... "4th and Loud" is a new reality series that follows Kiss rockers Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley as they purchase an Arena Football League team and try to bring their brand of flashy entertainment to the sport; 10 p.m. on AMC.

"Garfunkel and Oates" is a new series that highlights the zany misadventures of Riki Lindhome and Kate Micucci. They're a comedy-folk duo that takes its name from a pair of famous musical "second bananas"; 10 p.m. on IFC.

Friday

Marking the 40th anniversary of Richard Nixon's historic resignation, "Dick Cavett's Watergate" looks back at the scandal through the eyes of the late-night TV host who covered it extensively. Included: Vintage clips and fresh exchanges with journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward; 9 p.m. on PBS. ... In "The Knick," acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh delivers a medical melodrama set in 1900 at the struggling Knickerbocker Hospital in New York. This dark and gritty saga follows groundbreaking surgeons and nurses in an era of stunningly high mortality rates and primitive conditions. Leading the way is the arrogant renegade Dr. John Thackery (Clive Owen), whose addiction to cocaine is trumped only by his drive to push the boundaries of medicine; 10 p.m. on Cinemax.

Saturday

Ready for some time travel? Based on the wildly popular books by Diana Gabaldon, "Outlander" follows the adventures of World War II nurse Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe), who somehow finds herself in 18th-century Scotland and in the company of a kilt-wearing hottie (Sam Heughan); 9 p.m. Saturday on Starz.